A 61-year-old villager has been left furious after his local council ordered him to drag his bins half a mile from his home if he wants them collected.
Dave Thompson, who lives at the end of a long track road in the countryside near Rhuallt, North Wales, claims his bins have only been emptied five times in eight months.
The problems began when Denbighshire Council introduced a new bin and recycling scheme last year.
Thompson was told he would need to leave his waste at the end of the long track, approximately half a mile from his property.
Dave Thompson had to drag the bins (file pic)
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“I’m absolutely frustrated. There have been a dozen emails sent to people high up in the council,” Thompson said.
He explained that a team leader visited his property a month ago to evaluate the situation.
“They said, ‘we’ve evaluated the situation, and we are now asking for your bins to be left at the top of the track’ – which is half a mile away from the house,” he added.
Thompson was shocked by the council’s solution. “I thought they meant dragging them up but they mean leaving them there permanently,” he said.
Denbighshire Council launched its new Trolibocs system last year, which was followed by hundreds of reports of missed bin collections.
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The row centres on the town of Rhuallt, North Wales
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Officials subsequently revised the bin-wagon routes after months of problems for residents. Despite this, Thompson said the council still refuses to collect his rubbish from his home.
“There has been a problem with rats,” he revealed.
The situation has forced him to take matters into his own hands. Thompson had previously noted that the council had always collected rubbish from his home since he moved to the property two and a half years ago.
“I’ve had to take everything to the recycling centre myself, maybe a dozen times, to Rhyl which is probably an hour and a half round trip, paying for my own fuel.”
Denbighshire Council launched a new system last year
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Denbighshire councillor Chris Evans has raised concerns about the council’s solution.
He pointed out that the proposed location for the bins is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at the end of Cwm Woods.
“When the winds are blowing, it creates a mess. Who is going to clean the bins up when the rubbish is blown into the woods?” he asked.
Cllr Evans also highlighted other potential issues: “The bins will look an eyesore in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty when we are trying to welcome people into Denbighshire.”
He also questioned who would be accountable if the bins were stolen or used as dog poo bins.
A Denbighshire County Council spokesperson addressed the situation: “We have been in contact with Mr Thompson following his concerns regarding his collections and we will continue to work with him to find a solution.”
